In response to a surge in criminal activities within the Jaling, the capital of Taraba State, the state government has enacted strict measures to address the issue.
The government, as noticed by The Guardian, has officially prohibited the use of all motorcycles in the Jalingo metropolis and also imposed time restrictions on tricycles, allowing their movement only between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm.
The decision came yesterday following the establishment of a task force committee responsible for enforcing a comprehensive ban on motorcycles (okada) and regulating tricycles (Keke NAPEP).
The committee, led by the State Commissioner of Police Joseph Eribo, comprises key stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety (FRSC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Taraba Marshal, and the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
A press statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS) outlined that defaulters will face legal consequences.
The mobile court, as lucidly stated in the release, will be responsible for the arrest and trial of individuals violating the ban, and both motorcycles and tricycles found in contravention will be confiscated and subsequently destroyed.
These stringent measures, according to the statement, aim to enhance security in the state capital and mitigate the growing threat posed by criminal elements operating within Jalingo.
Following a bomb blast in the state capital, in 2012, the late former governor, Danbaba Suntai, enacted a law through the State House of Assembly banning the operation of both private and commercial motorcycles in the entire axis of the state capital.
The effectiveness of the law was observed to have diminished after the demise of the governor, allowing motorcycle operators to move freely around the area without interruption.
